| Heavy Horses at Bishop’s Castle Show
|
July 31st 2004
by Rosemary Cooper.
Bishop’s Castle Agricultural Show attracted multiple entries only in the class for horses of three years old and over. The winner and overall champion was Brian Davies’ Valiant, a five-year-old grey Shire gelding.
The judge, Mr Robert Alsop, described him as a good sort of powerful gelding that could go out and do a day’s work, but had enough presence and quality to win this very high standard class. According to Brian Davies, Valiant came to be broken but wasn’t suitable for his owner, so he bought him. He now works as a pair with a four-year-old mare.
The reserve champion, second in the same class, was J Pleavin-Edge’s Clydesdale filly, Boat Bonnie Lass. Mr Alsop described her as a beautifully put together filly with all the presence and beauty of a quality mare, and said it was a very difficult decision to split her and Valiant. ‘Very high quality’, he said, speaking of the third horse, a coloured gelding, Archie.
Speaking of the winning yearling, Mr and Mrs T Lloyd’s Wheatland Lorna Doone, he said ‘She’s the business. Time is on her side.’ The winning foal, Wheatland Mascot, also belongs to Mrs Lloyd, who said he was twisted in the womb and it took two vets and her husband to pull him out. At first she had to milk his mother, Wheatland Iris, to feed him. Now, at ten weeks old, he loves to perform in front of the crowds.
The decorated harness class was won by George Green’s Katie, who is eighteen and wore Liverpool harness, mostly over 100 years old. Her owner said she has been shown for fifteen years in decorated classes all over Shropshire, and had won over a hundred firsts, championships and specials.
She has nine National Horse Brass Society trophies. Mr Alsop’s comments were: ‘Immaculately cleaned and magnificent to look at. A real credit to the exhibitor.’
Results
Any breed, in-hand. Judge Mr R Alsop.
Yrlng – 1, Mr & Mrs T Lloyd’s Wheatland Lorna Doone.
3–y–o and over – 1 & ch, F B Davies’ Valiant; 2, res ch & best non–Shire, J Pleavin–Edge’s Boat
Bonnie Lass; 3 & 2nd best non–Shire, Jo Mitra’s Archie.
Foal – 1, Mr & Mrs T Lloyd’s Wheatland Mascot.
Decorated harness – 1, A J Green’s Katie.